Wednesday, October 15, 2008

online meanderings: training younger women

If you're reading Carolyn Mahaney's Feminine Appeal along with me, or listening to To Teach What is Good, have a look at Nicole's Equip books post. I found her comments on chapter 1 of Feminine Appeal insightful and helpful.

If you're a younger woman who'd like to be mentored by a godly older woman (and you don't need to be very young to want this!) take a look at How do I do this Mom thing?, which gives plenty of practical advice about how to choose a mentor, and establish a mentoring relationship.

Carolyn Mahaney has given 3 downloadable talks on teaching and training younger women:
- A Fresh Look at Titus 2 is the first in the To Teach What is Good series, covering the who, why, and how of older women mentoring younger women;
- Mentoring: Passing on the Language of Biblical Womanhood is a more recent talk which covers the same ground from a slightly different perspective;
- Implementing the Titus 2 Mandate is an extremely practical talk for pastor's wives (and others) outlining the steps a church might take to implement a Titus 2 ministry.

There are some excellent books on Titus 2:3-5, and how to teach the qualities of Biblical womanhood to younger women. Here's 3 which have impressed me:
- Martha Peace Becoming a Titus 2 Woman gives lots of thoughtful, detailed advice about how to express and teach the Titus 2:3-5 qualities as an older and younger women;
- Susan Hunt Spiritual Mothering is a warm and glowing book which explains how spiritual mothering is born in the character of God, and which gives many real-life stories and practical examples of how to encourage and train younger women;
- Carolyn Mahaney's Feminine Appeal, which I hope you've already read, or are reading with me!

My focus this term will be on the practicalities, not the theology, of male-female relationships. If you're uncomfortable with the idea of submission, or would like a refresher course in the theology of Biblical womanhood, why not listen to Claire Smith's excellent 6-part talk series, Different by Design. Her talks are clear, carefully thought-out, and well argued.

If you'd like to go deeper into the theology of Biblical womanhood, the classic is still Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. A shorter, easier-to-read book which covers much of the same ground, and which talks about many of the practicalities of living as a Christian woman, is Sharon James' God's Design for Women.

Happy reading and listening!

image is Knitting Girl by William Adelphe Bougeureau

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